


Go to Ferenginar

by cool_ha_ha



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Capital Punishment, Crossdressing, Dominance, Established Relationship, Ferengi, Fluff and Smut, Illegal Activities, M/M, Prostitution, Recreational Drug Use, Rough Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:21:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27439507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cool_ha_ha/pseuds/cool_ha_ha
Summary: Odo and Quark are an item now and they're going away.Jadzia warns Odo he's in for a surprise. Odo's not sure what he was expecting,  but this wasn't this.
Relationships: Odo/Quark (Star Trek)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 34





	1. Lets go to Ferenginar

**Author's Note:**

> Please read the tags. This is a story from a Ferengi point of view and everything goes on Ferenginar.  
> Set early in teh show.

Since their coupling, Odo and Quark had both seen an improvement in quality of life. For a start, Quark had pursued more legal means of earning profit using Odo’s suggestions. Odo had found comfort in seeing the crime rate drop, as well as using Quark to keep up to date with the criminal underground.

Behind closed doors was a whole different picture though. Quark was needy, attention seeking, whiney and horny. All things Odo can handle, but all the complete opposite of what he is. Odo doesn’t need sex or company when he sleeps or constant reassurance that he’s being heard. Odo would be happy to live as an object in Quark's pocket, but Quark needs him to talk, touch, react and so on.

The rest of the crew were placing bets on how long this uneasy ying and yang would last. Jadzia obviously assumed the best. Kira was waiting for Quark to overstep a boundary. Bashir didn’t say much. Just sulked. Miles tried to keep his nose out of it. Worf was expecting it to collapse the day after it became public knowledge. Sisko avoids these kinds of gossip circles, until it affects the station badly, which it hasn’t.

Odo did his best to keep quiet about it too, but Quark obviously needed the world to know.

“ODO!” He came running over.  
Odo winced. He loves the man, but why does he have to announce it to the whole station everytime they talk? “Yes Quark.”  
Quark slammed his hands on the table with a grin on his face. “You wanna go to Ferenginar?”  
Odo looked confused. “Why?”  
“Plenty of reasons. Meet moogie, enjoy the weather, keep up to date on politics, a bit of cultural enrichment.”  
Odo responded as calmly as he always does. “Quark, your pitch needs work.”  
Quark huffed and sat down. “Fine. I wanna go spending. Happy? The bar’s never done so well and I wanna take the opportunity to go home, make some connections and share some stories with you.”

Odo smiled. “Honesty suits you better.”  
“Don’t say things like that in public, Odo. I have a reputation to uphold.” Quark looks around the bar for prying ears.  
“Fine. We can go on vacation.”  
“Really?!”  
Odo shot him back down. “But! I want all tabs on who you’re talking to. I want to know where we’re going. I want to know where we’re staying-”  
Quark waved the comments off “Odo, I’ll print you an itinerary if it makes you feel better. I just want us off the station for a few days.”  
Odo squints. “What did you do?”  
“Nothing! Just because I want a vacation doesn’t mean I’m in trouble, Odo. I thought you’d trust me by now.”  
Odo leaned forward. “I just want you safe, that's all.”  
Quark leaned forward. “I’m safe because you keep me safe.”  
Odo held his face. “Then you need to tell me the truth when I ask for it.”  
Quark inched closer. “And I’ve given you the truth.”

“Well look at you two.” They both parted like a pair of teenagers getting caught. Jadzia laughed and Quark nearly fell off his chair.  
“Can I help you lieutenant?” Odo said faux casually.  
Jadzia sat down. “You guys getting away for a weekend?”  
“Mid week if I can help it. Weekends are expensive.” Quark adds.  
Jadzia looks at Odo.  
Odo coughs up “I have a few vacation days.”  
“You’ve got more vacation days than anyone else on the station” Jadzia retorts.  
“Then that settles it. I’ll start packing.” Quark runs off.

Jadzia waits until he’s out of ear shot. “So … taking your boyfriend on holiday?”  
“Actually, he’s taking me.”  
Jadzia repressed a laugh.  
“Why’s that funny?”  
“Oh, you two are adorable, but if I were you, I’d do your research. Dax went a few years ago. Never seen anything like it before in any of my lives.”  
“That bad, huh?”  
Jadzia backtracked. “Not bad, just … unusual. Bleak but colourful. Clean but filthy. Friendly but scary. Really weird place.”  
“That doesn’t make any sense.”  
“Oh it will. Enjoy your vacation.” And with that, she stood up and skipped away.  
Odo decides he needs to do his research.

*

He sits in Quark's room reading.  
“What ya packed?” Quark says while emptying his closet.  
“Books and bucket.”  
“Oh.”  
“What's wrong with that?” He finally looks up.  
Quark is still deciding outfits. “Nothing. I guess you don’t need clothes and cosmetics or anything.“  
“No I don’t.” Odo suspects this is going somewhere.  
“But …” Knew it. “You wouldn’t mind changing outfits when we get there, would ya? I can’t say your uniform will put people at ease.”  
“What's that supposed to mean?”  
Quark didn’t even look at him. “No police on Ferenginar.”  
Odo starts freaking out. “Then how? What's the … Who governs-”  
Quark does turn to look at him. “Odo, calm down. No police doesn’t mean no order. Crime rate is actually very low all things considered. The odd petty theft and someone stealing a ship isn’t too bad.”  
“That doesn’t make any sense.”  
“Course it does. The FCA got us covered, not to mention insurance and contracts for days. Oh, which reminds me, you might wanna carry cash before we get there. Not everywhere takes thumb prints.”  
Odo is stunned silent. He quietly goes back to his padd.

*

On the run about, Rom and Nog follow along.  
“Nog, I didn’t think you liked Ferenginar?” Odo asks.  
“It's a love hate relationship.”  
Odo just nods and turns back.

“First thing when we get there is check in. I want the run about left where I can track it.” Quark reminds everyone.  
“We could land it?” Odo adds.  
“And pay parking fees? I’d rather risk it getting jacked from space.”  
Odo is once again confused.

“I just wanna see Moogie again.” Rom chimes in.  
“I can’t remember the last time I saw her.” Nog says happily.  
“Yeah well you two just stay away from me and Odo. I don’t want people knowing we’re related.”  
Odo turns to him. “That's not a very nice thing to say, Quark.”  
Rom jumps back in. “He used to say it when we were kids. I get it.”  
“I didn’t know that.” Nog perked up.  
Quark huffs. “If you had siblings, you’d know my pain. Thank the blessed exchequer you don’t, but I’m just letting ya know.”  
“I wouldn’t have minded being a big brother.”  
Rom comments “Be careful what you wish for.”  
Everyone else slowly turns to face Rom.


	2. Lunch at Moogies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Odo has questions and Quark gets sad.

The group beam down, bags and all and part in the rain. Nog and Rom trudge toward Moogie’s house. Odo and Quark splash through the down pour toward the hotel. Odo shifts an umbrella. Quark smiles.

At the reception, a young man stands as bell boy. “Did you book?”  
“Yeah, Quark; son of Keldar?”  
The man pressed some buttons. “Yeah you’re on here. I’ll show you to your room.”

The bell boy took Quarks bags and led the way through short corridors and low entrances. It’s like a maze with no lifts.  
“Odo .. you might wanna get changed when we unpack.” Quark says quietly.  
Odo looks down. “I’m not wearing Ferengi fashion.”  
“I never said that. Just literally anything but that.”  
“Bajoran it is.”

They are given a key card and shown the room. Quark gives the boy a slip and he happily plods away. Odo puts his bucket by the bed. Quark throws himself on the bed. He basically sinks into it.  
“Ah, that feels like home.”  
Odo sits next to him. The bed is a lot softer than expected. Odo shifts outfits.  
“You got anything more colourful. You like you just fell out of the occupation.”  
Odo gives him a look.  
“Okay point taken.” Quark shuts up.  
Odo changes to some sort of dull turtleneck sweater.  
“Close enough.”

Quark rolls off the bed to start unpacking. “I didn’t bring much, since ya know, I plan on taking more home.”  
Odo changes subject. “That bell boy didn’t seem affected by my uniform.”  
“Odo, he’s probably never seen a police officer before. As far as he’s concerned, you’re just dressed weird.”  
“Then what do you do if someone breaks the law? Who do you turn to?”  
“You report it to the FCA and hope they compensate you for grassing.”  
Odo looks shocked. “What if the crime is avoidable? Something that can be stopped then and there?”  
“Pft. The minute you let them go, they do it again. No point. You may as well let the FCA investigate and ruin them financially later. Then they don’t even know it was you who told on them.”  
“What if they try to buy your silence?”  
“Let ‘em try. A good business man knows they’re taking your potential profits. It all works out.”  
Odo continued to pry. “So bribery is legal for illegal activities?”  
“Only thing illegal here is male nudity. The rest is just ill advised.”  
Odo squints.

“And speaking of nudity-” Quark pulled up a g-string from his bag. “Yes or no.”  
“You know I honestly don’t care.”  
Quark dropped it. “You know, some enthusiasm would be nice.”  
“Then give me something to get enthusiastic about.”  
Quark took that as a challenge and pulled him by the shirt onto the bed, straddling him. Odo smiled back and held his hips.  
“Don’t we have somewhere to be this afternoon?”  
“We can do lunch with Ishka tomorrow.”  
“We’ve all evening for this.”  
“But I want it now.”  
Odo sits up, putting them chest to chest. “I promise you won’t go without.”  
Quark sighs. “I suppose we should be making the most of the city.”  
“I’m sure your family would appreciate it.”

Just a few hours later, Odo sits with his knees by his chest in the family living room with Quark, Rom and Ishka. The moment is awkward.  
She speaks first. “So it's nice that Quark’s finally settling with a business partner.”  
Odo looks confused. “A what?” Quark nudges him. “Yes. It is.”

It's quiet again.

“I didn’t think women were allowed-”  
“Don’t get her started.” Quark interrupts.  
“What the FCA don’t know can’t hurt them.” She says to Quark.  
Odo looks at Quark. “But if they do find out, it's my latinum they take!”  
“I’ll reimburse you, Quark” She offers.  
“I shouldn’t need reimbursing. You shouldn’t be earning profit!”

Odo looks to Rom.  
“They do this alot” Rom says to Odo.  
Odo nods along.

Something dings elsewhere in the house.  
“Grubs are done.” She says and waddles off to the kitchen.  
Quark looks grumpy. Odo is confused. Rom just accepts it.  
“Um, where’s Nog?” Odo says to anyone.  
“He ur .. went out.”  
“Alone?”   
“He’s an adult Odo.”  
“No he’s not. He’s 16.” Odo is panicking again.  
“He’s old enough to earn profit and he knows the rules.” Rom tried to ease him.  
“He’s smarter than he looks.” Quark adds.

Ishka comes back in with small bowls on a tray and puts them on the table.  
“Lunch is served.”  
Rom rushes over. “Thank you Moogie.”  
Quark drags himself to the table. “Thanks.” he says in her general direction.  
Odo doesn’t move.

“Can I get you a drink or …?” She has no idea what to say.  
Before Odo can get a word in, Quark says it first. “He’s a shapeshifter. He can’t eat, Ishka.”  
“Oh, of course. My apologies.”  
“Thank you anyway. I get it alot.”  
“Well know you’re part of the family now. If you ever need anything-”  
“Don’t baby him.” Quark shoots from the table.  
Rom comes to her defence. “She’s just being nice.”  
Odo jumps back in. “I was about to ask about family actually.”  
Ishka lights up. “Ask away.”

“Quark used Keldar to identify himself as Quark earlier. Is that a household thing?”  
Ishka sits down. “It's quite simple actually. The family name is referred to by the person earning the most-”  
Quark interrupts “Which should be me.”  
She continues “Which should be Keldar, but since he’s dead, it’s now Quark, but Quark can’t use my name or Rom’s so he’s got to use his fathers.”  
Rom calls out. “Moogie can use Quark's name, and I can use either.”  
“What about Nog?”  
Quark says it for him. “Son of Rom.”  
Odo thinks he’s got it. “So it would be Ishka, mother of Quark. Quark, son of Keldar. Nog son of Rom. And Rom ….”  
Rom just shrugs. “I’m pretty sure Nog’s earning more than me, so any of the male family names.”

Ishka smiles at Odo. “You picked that up fast. What about you?”  
“Just Odo.”  
“Moogie, don’t say it.” Quark warns her.  
She smiles and says it anyway. “Not if there's a marriage contract on the way.”  
“I said don’t say it.”   
She’s laughing to herself. Odo is trying to work out whose name would be used.  
Rom joins in “She did the same thing when I got married.”  
“Not that it changed anything.”  
Odo remains still.

*

On the walk back. Odo still had questions.  
“Why do you hate your family so much?”  
Quark sighs. “I don’t hate them. They just … It's a lot you know. They don’t realise how stressful it is.”  
“You’re stressed to eat lunch with your mother?”  
“No! She .. She puts me at risk by earning profit. She puts me at risk going out on her own. She puts me at risk by being dressed. She embarrasses me because she knows she can.”  
They continue to walk in the rain. “I can’t see how wanting a more equal life is a bad thing.” 

Quark is getting stressed talking about it. “I’ll just spell it out for ya. After dad died, me ‘n’ Rom had to cover all of her expenses, which we did. The bar was doing well. Rom had stable work. We could handle it. Then he had a kid. So Moogies costs became mine. Then Rom lost his job, lost his wife, lost his savings and I had Moogie, Rom, Nog and a bar to pay for during the occupation.”

Odo took that in. “I didn’t realise.”  
“Well it gets worse. While trying to keep Nog safe, console Rom, keep Moogie entertained and run the bar, you showed up! Then the FCA told me she’s earning profit and .. And I didn’t have anyone. Everything I earned by doing it right, they were slowly taking it away because they did it wrong and I’m the bad guy for being angry about it.” Quark sounded like he was going to cry.

Odo wrapped an arm around him.   
Quark laughed. “Not to ruin the moment or anything, but that’s not allowed here.”  
“What? Why?”  
“By Ferengi terms, we’re only allowed to be a couple because you’re helping me earn latinum.”  
“Is that why she called me your business partner?”  
“Yeah. If guys could pair up for any other reason than the economy, why would anyone buy a wife and pay for children?”  
Odo considered for a moment. “Not everyone’s into men though?”  
“That's why people like Rom never climb the economic ladder.”  
That took Odo by surprise.


	3. The Club

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ferengi life is one without sin. Here is Quark and Odo enjoying it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drugs, sex and booze.

Odo stands before Quark in their hotel room.  
“How's this?” Odo’s outfit has changed.  
“Can you do neon?”  
“Not my style.”  
“Please. We’re going to a reservation-only bar and club.” Quark pleads.  
“I still don’t know what you get out of seeing people dance in a crowded room with loud music and-”  
“Odo, don’t change the subject. I wanna dance and get hammered with my favourite person, in my favourite place.”  
Odo huffs and switches outfits. It’s a colourful shirt with a plain pair of trousers and long jacket.

“Close enough.”  
“I feel like I’m overdoing it.”  
“You think grey is an exciting colour.”  
“It is. Or at least it is when you have to make the colour yourself.”  
Quark took his hand “I’m not making you do anything, but I do wanna share these things with you.” Odo smiled back “And maybe you fuck my brains out later. I don’t know.”  
Odo’s smile died.  
“Oh don’t gimme that. I know you like sex too.” Quark got off the bed and looked for his shoes.  
“I don’t get the same thrill out of it that you do.”  
“Obviously, or else we’d be doing it a lot more”  
Odo was about to argue back but Quark was already shoving out the door.

later  
They stood in line at the bar. Odo is freaking out a little as all the signs on this place look … promiscuous. He felt too tall as well. It felt weird only being able to see the top of people’s heads. All the doors were short and curved. Most roads were for pedestrians. He’s spotted a total of 3 women so far among the hundreds of men. 

His outfit still made him uncomfortable. Without his uniform he’s out of place. He’s not recognised as a shapeshifter. He’s just some tall blonde guy who possibly helps Quark earn money. He keeps watching people. He knows Quark said the crime rate is low, but he’s security. His job is to look for ill doings.

At the door of the club, a Nausicaan stands guard. He looks Quark and Odo over once and lets them in.

Odo was not expecting what he saw. The music was a freaky mix of tribal and electronic. The room was filled with flashing lights in red and blue. There are seats, tables, private rooms, dancers and half naked waiters. Not a single woman. 

Quark took his hand and dragged him to the bar. He handed the bar staff a slip and he passed him a glass of something colourful.  
“Quark, what the hell is this?”  
“A club. Why?”  
A man wearing tight short shorts and a tube top walked by holding a tray of bowls filled with bugs.

Quark slowly walked him around until they found a table. All the staff still wore the headdress, but even they were printed with neon Ferengi designs. 

Odo noticed a few staff wearing heels. All the dancers are men. There was a very clear divide between who was a customer and who was staff based on such clothing. The more skin showing, more likely they’re dancers. The waiters all had moderate covering and mostly female clothes. The patrons all dressed like Quark when he’s trying to impress someone one.

“This is absurd.”  
“This is business.” Quark drank his colourful liquid.

Odo was still taking in the odd scenery. Poles and tiny stages around the room. A dance floor. Spiral stairs going who knows how many floors up. Through a curtain Odo can see a group of guys with a dancer. On the other side of the room, a small group lay on bean bags and passed a pipe around, blowing the vapor toward the dance floor.

“Is this legal?”  
“I already told you Odo, it's all legal.” Quark let Odo decide if he was okay before trying to push him.  
“What’s upstairs?”  
“Private rooms for meetings, drug use, lap dances, etcetera.”  
Odo frowned. “Did I hear that right?”  
“Hey if people will pay for it, it's acceptable. All the dancers are of age, all the drugs are legal, all the booze is- Is that Nog?”  
Odo’s head shoots around.

Nog is frozen mid step as they all spot each other.

Nog raises a finger to explain, then bolts for the nearest door. Quark gives chase immediately and catches him by the ear.  
“OwOwOwOwOw-”  
“What the hell are you doing in here?” Quark demands.  
“Let go first!”  
“Odo, do me a favour.”  
Odo takes his wrist and makes hand cuffs with it. Quark lets go.

Nog looks angry and tipsy.  
“Are you drunk?”  
“I’m not drunk. But I may have had a few.” Nog wobbles.  
“How did you even get in here?”  
Nog smirks and pulls a card out of his pocket. “Fake ID.”  
Quark bites it. “This is well made. How’d you get this?”  
“I have my sources.”

Quark and Odo look at each other.  
Quark looks back to Nog. “I can’t believe I had to sit through lunch with Moogie while you’re in here-”  
“Quark that's not the point.”  
“Right, right.” Quark calms down. “I’ll let your father deal with you.”  
Nog kicks off “That's not fair! I’ve not broken any rules!”  
“You’re breaking the law!” Odo adds  
“No, they’re breaking the law, selling to a minor. If you report me, they’ll only charge Rom and the club owner, who will take it out of his employees pay cheques.” He speaks smuggly.  
Quark freezes up. “Good point. Odo let him go.”  
“You’re kidding.”  
“Nope. He’s right. We can kick him out without anyone else getting in trouble. I’ll have a word with Rom later.”  
Nog continued to kick. “If you tell Rom, I’ll have to sit at Moogies for 2 solid days. He’ll never let me out again.”  
“Argh .. This is why I didn’t become a parent.”  
Odo rolls his eyes.

“Fine. But if you’re gonna keep doing this, you’re gonna need a cover story.” Quark says to Nog.  
“Quark!” Odo says angrily.  
“I got three days worth of cover stories. I made a new friend up and everything.” Nog says smiling.  
“I told you he’s smarter than he looks. Okay Odo, I think he’s learned his lesson.”  
“What?! You said if you let them go, they do it again.”  
“Because we caught him. If the FCA finds out, they charge me as the primary source of income for the family.”  
Odo growls to himself and lets Nog go.  
“I promise I won’t get caught again.”  
“Make sure of it.” Quark taps him in the direction of the door.

Nog leaves. Quark and Odo sit in a booth.  
“We shouldn’t have let him go on his own.” Odo says lowly.  
“Pft, Odo, he's a teenage boy. If he wants to try alcohol and stare at other guys, he’s gonna do it one way or another. I made plenty of mistakes as a teenager.”  
Odo sat back. “Oh?”  
Quark recounted a few. “You know how it is. If you can get a few girls or guys to touch your ears, you’ll tell them anything to get that kind of attention.”  
Odo laughs. “And you got away with it?”  
“Only until I was caught. Nothing more than a warning though.”

Odo pulled Quark in close. “Am I allowed to hold you here?”  
Quark shivered. “We could always find a quiet room and you could do whatever you wanted”  
“I thought it wasn’t allowed?” Odo cocked his head.  
“Why do you think people do business deals here.”  
“I don’t know”  
Quark raises his eyebrows. “Basically, the discussion before signing a contract should be public incase you’re getting swindled. But if you want something cheaper, some guys will make themselves part of the deal, if you catch my drift.”  
Odo’s face dropped.

“Have - Have you done that before?”  
Quark relaxed into Odo. “Oh yeah. New investors need to know they can trust you and I need to know I’m getting my merch cheaper.”  
“I don’t know how to feel about that.”  
“I don’t do it anymore. I know you don’t like sharing.”  
“I still don’t know how I feel about that.”  
“Well think about it. If you make sex a regular thing between yourself and an employee or customer, you build trust. They get laid and free stuff, while you get laid and loyalty. What more could you want.”  
“Why does it have to be sex?”  
“Never sleep with the boss's sister. Always sleep with the boss. It's how you get a leg up in the world. I’m still in contact with guys I had decades ago.”  
“Isn’t that awkward?”  
Quark laughs “No. He has a wife and stuff. I just needed him to do me a favour. He still keeps me up to date with new inventory. Good guy.”  
Odo feels shallow all of a sudden.

Quark looks up to see Odo’s horrified face. “Look, I didn’t like any of them beyond business. If it was gonna serve me well, I could have settled with them, but I wanna settle with you.” He sits up so he can see him properly. “You mean more to me than them, and no business deal is gonna change that.”  
Odo smiles weakly.  
Quark leans in for a kiss. Odo reciprocates.  
“You wanna go find a quiet booth upstairs?” Quark offers.  
“Wouldn’t you rather wait until we’re back at the hotel?”  
“But I want it now” He pouts.

Somehow, Odo’s not sure how, he got dragged to a small room behind a curtain with satin sofas and a sturdy table in the middle.  
Quark pulled Odo by the shirt to the sofa. He laid himself down and took Odo with him. Odo kissed him into the very soft seat and rubbed up his ears. “What if we get caught?”  
“Closed curtains means occupied.”  
“Not what I asked.”  
Quark groaned, his trousers are now far too tight. “No one’s gonna see.” Quark grinds himself against Odo. Odo remains focused on Quark’s lobes and kissing his neck.

“Odo please” He begs. Odo likes it when he begs. He likes the control he has over him. He likes that Quark wants him, and only him. He likes that Quark asks nicely.  
His hand drifts down his chest, his side, to his trouser buttons. “Yes Odo.” He pants.  
Odo starts tugging them down.

Quark closes his eyes and tilts his head back, expressing his relief. Odo takes his shoes off and completely removes his bottoms. Odo slides off the couch, sitting on his knees on the floor, he pulls Quark's underwear just far enough to reach the good bit with his tongue.  
Quark screeches, both out of over stimulation and frustration that he’s trapped in his own clothes.  
“Someone’s going to hear.”  
“Go back to what you were doing, please.”  
Odo rolls his eyes and ducks back in. Quark moans and sinks ever more into the couch.  
“I know you can’t hear through the music, but I can hear the next 3 rooms from ours. We are not quiet people.” He gasps and wiggles his way through his explanation.  
Odo knows Quark is loud, but it never occurred to him that they all might be.

Odo switches to fingers. Fingers which melt to goo and fondle at free will. Quark bends and tenses around them.  
“You need to relax” He says as the tendrils enter and twist around inside.  
“Oh, Odo you have no idea what you do to me.” He talks through clenched teeth.  
“I’m not going any further until I know I’m not hurting you.” The coil gets a little thicker.  
Quark moans and laughs. “I know you wouldn’t.”

Odo rests his head on Quark's belly. Quark runs his fingers through his hair and relaxes into the sensation.  
“I could do this all day.” Quark says absentmindedly.  
“Is that a request?” Odo says playfully.  
“I’d like to see you try.”  
Odo moves a little harder. Quark gasps.

“Never mind. Naked, please.”  
Odo removes himself and brings his fingers back. He pulls Quark’s hips inline with his own, almost hanging off the couch. Odo kneels and puts Quarks back and legs where he wants him. “And you’re sure we’re alone?”  
“It’s just you and me. I promise.”  
Quark sounded so sure, so trusting, but it was the only thing keeping Odo here, doing what they’re doing. Odo leaned down and kissed him, slowly, compassionately. Quark slowed down and held his face back. Odo shifted naked for him. Quark got hold of Odo’s bare skin.

“Say the word.” Odo whispered to his face.  
“Please.”  
Odo kept his eye contact as he slid in. Quark’s mouth fell open.

Odo moved slowly, never letting go or leaving Quarks attention.  
“Speak.” Odo demands.  
“I - I want it, Odo.”  
Odo shudders under hearing his name. “More.”  
“All yours, Odo. I’m all yours.” He whimpers.  
Odo speeds up. Quark struggles. “Keep talking.”  
Quark tries to catch his breath. “Please. Don’t stop.”  
“And what if I did?” he threatens.  
Quark cires out. “Don’t stop. Please. Odo.”  
Odo hits harder, causing Quark to spasm and scream, clawing at the couch cushions. 

Quark’s eyes suddenly focused. His body needed holding down. Odo slammed in hard and fast for him, giving him as much body to body contact as he can. He watches as Quark builds and pants. Watches him try to force words out of his mouth and feel him sweat under his clothes. The wet slapping noise, Quark tipping and twisting, their unfamiliar setting. Quark finally finally came undone and hid his face in his elbow crease.

Odo slowed to a heavy grind, giving Quark a chance to breathe straight and focus again. He was still whining on each thrust. The afterglow was always his favorite part. Seeing Quark smile and look for intimacy. Quarks full submission, laid out on display for him like a gift. It’s the closest thing Odo has to arousal. Quark knows that stare.  
“You gonna finish yourself off?”

By this point they both know Odo can’t finish, but gets a climactic thrill out of Quark’s arousal. Quark knows Odo can do some serious damage if he wants to, but he knows he’s smaller, weaker and can’t handle that kind of pressure … saying that, he’s never minded rough sex.

Odo lays him on the couch long ways and climbs on with him. Leaning right over Quark, and once again, watching his face and body language, starts moving again at an almost painful pace. Quark screams cuss words and grabs at anything for purchase. Odo does not relent, forcing his way in and out fast enough to make Quark shake and turn him into a wailing wreck.

Odo loves seeing him like this. Putting him in this state. He wants him to forget everybody else he’s ever had. He wants him to think of him, and only him. He wants this to be perfect for Quark. He wants him to know how much he cares about him. Odo slows down. Quark groans and throws himself even further back into the couch.

Quark gives him a wobbly smile. “Better?”  
Odo nods. “Much.”  
They kiss and Odo gets off. He shifts back to the way he was and looks for Quarks clothes that he ripped off earlier.  
Quark lays quite content on the couch. His own trousers land on his face.  
“Get dressed.”  
“Eugh…”  
Quark needs some time to recover. Odo sits by the couch and waits for him. Usually he falls asleep. 

“Hey Odo?”  
“Mhm.”  
“Can you do drugs?”

Another floor up, Quark looks for a particular stall. He takes Odo’s hand and makes him follow closely to a man with a huge contract on the table.  
“How much?”  
“Two strips each.” He responds with.  
Quark groans and coughs up. Odo pretends to pockets inside his jacket and retrieves the money.  
“Sign here.”  
“Summarise” Quark fires back.  
“Anything you do under the influence cannot be traced back to this establishment or its providers.”  
Quark nods. “So if I fuck up a perfectly good business deal because I’m high, I can’t sue.”  
“Or if you get her pregnant, drunk dial an ex, jump off a building, break a rule of acquisition, embarrass yourself, ruin family ties-”  
“Okay, okay point taken.” Quark takes the pen and signs his name.  
Odo isn’t even sure if this is going to work but signs it anyway.

“Whoa woah woah. What race are you?”  
“What should that matter?” Odo asks back.  
“Some races got their own contract due to extreme reactions. Vulcans and Klingons and the like.”  
“Shapeshifter.” Odo says bluntly.  
“Oh never mind. Enjoy.” He hands them a small square of paper each with a colourful shape on it. Probably the company logo.

“Open” Quark says smiling.  
Odo does so. Quark leaves it on his tongue. Quark opens his own mouth. Odo returns the favour.  
“Now what?”  
“Now we wait for it to kick in, and party.” Quark runs him back down stairs and orders another drink.

Odo waits with him. Usually when things enter Odo’s body, they just sit there, undigested, but Odo can’t feel the paper inside him any more, which means it dissolved, but doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll work.

Quark starts getting antsy. He’s fidgeting and looking around like he’s lost something.  
“Quark?”  
Quark starts breathing deeply. “I need to move. You wanna dance?”  
The look in his eyes is desperate. Odo nods and is rushed to his feet. Quark spins them into the middle of the dance floor. The music was louder here, not as loud as it could be, but considering they’re on Ferenginar, it seemed about right. 

Quark started doing some sort of dance move involving bouncing on the balls on your feet. Odo has no idea what to do. Quark takes his hands. Then it starts kicking in. Odo was full of energy. The room was beautiful. Quark was so small, so precious. He held Quark close. One hand on his lower back, the other on the side of his face. Odo spins them round ballroom style. Quark spins out of his embrace and shows him how it's done.

They pull apart and pull back together, spinning around and lifting Quark up as they go.  
Seeing Quark throw himself around like this, seeing him trust Odo in a public space as they dance together. Odo doesn’t know the music. He doesn’t know the rules or the social cues. He doesn’t know how the drug in his system is clouding his judgement, but he feels fucking amazing.

He pulls Quark face to face. “You’re beautiful, do you know that?”  
Quark looks right through him. “I can’t hear you.”  
“I love you. You irritate me. You’re demanding. We’re nothing alike, and I love you.”  
“Odo, I don’t know what you’re saying.”  
Odo pleads with him. “I know I don’t get excited. I know I’m boring. But I hope the little things I do for you make up for that. That stupid lace thing you brought in your luggage for example. I lied. I can’t wait to see you wear it. Because it makes you happy, and I want you to be happy, Quark. You mean too much to me.”  
Quark just stares right through him. “Are you asking to go back to the hotel? We can leave if you wa-”  
Odo pulls him into a fierce kiss.


	4. Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quark and Odo wake up.

Quark wakes up in bed. He’s naked. Totally naked. He quickly covers himself. “Odo?” He looks to the bucket, but it's empty. “Odo?!” He jams his pajama trousers on. His head hurts. Dehydration. He basically falls into the bathroom.

The shower base is full of Odo goo.  
“Odo. Is that you?”  
Odo slowly reforms. He recovers on his hands and knees in uniform. “I feel awful.”  
“You look it. When did we go to bed?”  
“By the feels of it, a few hours ago.”  
“Why are you in the bathroom?”  
“I have a theory.” Odo falls to lean against the wall. “Last night, we tried that paper drug.”  
“Yeah..”  
“Then we danced”  
“Yeah?”  
“Then I’m pretty sure I did some tricks?”  
“I remember getting very excited about that.”  
Odo agrees “Then I’m pretty sure I carried you back here…”  
The memories start flooding back in. 

“I was a horse and you made a comment about riding me. Which must have escalated because I’m currently mixed with your seed.”  
Quark frowns. “We never do things that way around.”  
“I unfortunately have evidence to the contrary.”  
Quark sits on the floor with him. “Jeez. I’m sorry. I must have been really drunk. I can’t remember what we did after we got back.”  
Odo blinks his very dark tired eyes. “Well .. I have infallible recall, and I’m sorry to tell you, you fucked me last night then fell asleep, and I .. think I tried to shower? I just remember all of it feeling amazing.”

“Well if you need some time to recover, I could go have that word with Rom.”  
Odo jumped. “Oh my god, we found Nog in there.”  
“Could you imagine if we hadn't seen him as early as we did?”  
“Or if he decided to take what we did?”  
“Or worse.”  
“What could possibly be worse?”  
“Pft, Odo, you confiscate drugs all the time. You tell me what's worse than a little E.”

Odo’s everything hurts. He can’t remember ever feeling as good as he did last night.

Quark reluctantly spoke. “Odo? Do you remember if last night was good? I’m never top with guys.”  
Odo thought hard. “Urm … I attempted female anatomy I think. You obviously enjoyed yourself.”  
“Oh. Was it good for you?”  
Odo recollected what he can. “I think so.”  
“Oh. I’m glad.”  
“It's not like I can feel it. I always let you decide.”  
“What? I always thought you didn’t feel comfortable being bottom?”  
“No. That first night together, you decided you wanted me to-”  
“I know I did on the first night. I didn’t think to try and change it up.”  
“Until yesterday.”  
Quark sank. “I think you need to regenerate. Your eye sockets are going black.”  
Odo nods. “If you’re not back, I’ll assume your at Ishka’s.”  
“I’ll put a do not disturb sign on the door for ya.”  
“Thank you Quark.”  
“Thank you for coming out with me last night.”  
Odo smiled. Quark gave him a peck on the cheek.

Odo melted into his bucket and Quark got dressed to visit Moogie.

*

Rom fell into full blown panic mode.  
Quark kept explaining. “If myself and Odo hadn’t have been there, who knows what he’d have done.”  
“I wasn’t gonna do anything.” Nog crossed his arms and mardies.  
“Like hell you weren’t. He was already drunk.”  
Rom turned to Nog. “You were drunk?”  
Nog yells back. “I scrounged - A - drink.”  
“I’m just saying you might wanna keep a better eye on your son.”  
Ishka joins in. “And what were you doing in there?”  
Everyone looks at Quark. “I’m an adult. What I do with my spare time and money is none of-”  
“So I can earn profit, but I can’t spend it?” Nog adds.  
“Spend it on something age appropriate!”  
“Like what??”  
“Will you two stop shouting?!” Rom intrudes.

Everyone is quiet for a few moments.

Ishka spoke first. “I would like to point out that you weren’t innocent in your youth either, Quark.”  
“What’d he do?” Nog asks.  
“Never mind what I did. This conversation was about Nog.”  
Moogie ignored that comment. “He didn’t think we knew, but his first job was at some seedy-”  
“You can’t prove that!” Quark interjects.  
“We all heard you coming home late, a few extra slips to your name, running off to get dressed before anyone spotted you looking like a-”  
“Moogie, don’t you dare finish that sentence.”  
Nog was grinning now. “And I’m in trouble for supporting such a business?”  
“I was learning on the job. I was earning the legal way. YOU got caught in a club, drunk, with no excuse to be there.”  
Nog sat up. “How do you know I wasn’t there to schmooze with the higher ups?”  
“Been there, done that. I know that's not why you were there.” He pouts.  
Rom lifted a finger to speak and Quark cut him off before he got there.  
“It’s not why I was there either .. that time, anyway.”  
Ishka gives Nog a supportive look.

Meanwhile  
Odo finally slides out of the shower and looks around to see a male maid cleaning the room.  
There is a tense silent moment where they just stare at each other.  
The Ferengi man shoots a look at Odo’s chest. Odo notices he’s reverted back to his uniform. He quickly switches back to his casual clothes. The other man lets a deep breath go.  
“I’m on vacation.” Odo says to clarify.  
“I’ve heard that one before.” The man goes back to changing the sheets.  
Odo awkwardly leaves the room.

On the outside of the door was a do not disturb sign. The cleaner had ignored it.

Outside, it was raining. He saw a small crowd outside the tower of commerce. Some sort of ritual punishment happening, with people betting on the outcomes. Odo shuddered. Memories of Terok nor.

He continued his walk toward Ishka’s.

Odo spots a homeless man sitting against the wall on the floor. His coat was soaked, his head was hung low in the rain. Odo felt that pang of guilt and pulled a slip of latinum out of his mass, concealed in a man made pocket.

He dropped the slip in front of the man and kept walking.

He got a few steps before an unfamiliar voice called out “Excuse me, sir?” Odo turned to see the drenched beggar still sitting in front of the slip he dropped for him. “Was this for me?” He sounded confused.  
Odo was confused. “Yes?”  
The Ferengi looked around scared. “You’re not from around here I take it?”  
Odo shook his head.  
The other man sank further. “Rule 1: Once you have their money-”  
“Never give it back.”  
He looks up. “Then you know I can’t take that.”  
Odo is confused again. “Why?”  
The other man is shocked. “Stealing and charity are the same thing here. Luckily I’ve been off-world enough to know the different words for it.”  
Odo is shocked now. “So I can’t just ask you to take the money?”  
“What? No, the FCA would have my head.”

‘Shoulda known’ he thinks. “I’m partnered with a Ferengi, so I know there’s an exception to every rule. How do I get around it?”  
The man smiles and gets up, bringing the slip with him. “Simple. You give me a job to earn it from ya.” He smiles proudly.  
Odo nods. “And what would be …. Appropriate, in such circumstances?”  
The man looks around and leans in. “You said you were already partnered up….?”  
Odo’s face dropped. “OH, yes, no thank you. We are perfectly-”  
“Are you sure, ‘cus I could do you a favour and-”  
“No, I don’t think he’d appreciate that, but also, I don’t have any nerves. I don’t get anything out of the act itself.”  
“Ah, then the predicament continues.”  
Odo and his new found friend think very carefully in the middle of the road about innocent jobs they could trade.

Odo snaps his finger. “I’ve got it.”


	5. Long story short

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Odo tries to take out 2 birds with 1 stone and misses.

Nog swings off the couch. “I'm bored.”  
Quark looks equally miserable “Me too, but ya don’t see me complaining.”  
“Bet that’s not what Odo says”  
“What’d you say, you little b-”  
There's a knock.  
Both Quark and Nog rush to answer it.

“Odo! And … Who are you?” Quark steps back to let them in.  
“Urm … I seem to have accidentally broken a law by giving this man some latinum-”  
“Hey, I remember you. You were that destitute outside the tower of commerce.” Quark points out.  
Odo jumps back in “And long story short, he needs a job.”  
Quark looks the guy up and down. “Odo, you don’t know what this guy did to end up like that-”  
The stranger coughed up “Actually a series of bad investments and regrettable decisions caused this. I did have a family and a small empire to my name.”  
Quark scoffed “We don’t know that.”  
“Oh yeah. Use your console there. Teller, brother of Penn.”  
Odo snorts.  
Quark gives him a look. “Something funny about that, constable?”  
“No.”  
“Constable??”  
“Don’t worry about it.”

They search him up. He’s right.

Quark spins around to Odo. “So what are we paying him for?”  
“I was going to ask Rom if he could do with a babysitter.”  
Nog shot into the room. “A babysitter?”  
“Why would he need one of those?”  
“Considering where he ended up last time we left him on his own, and how desperate he is to get out of the house …” Odo looks at Teller. He just shrugs in response.  
Quark sighs. “I hate it, but it would solve all three problems. I say we all chip in a slip to cover his day costs-”  
Nog interrupts “You can’t seriously be going along with this?”  
Teller adds “What's that? Like 4 slips?”  
“You’re destitute, you don’t get to choose your wage anymore.”  
Nog is still kicking off in the background.

Later.   
Moogie waves Nog and Teller off, Nog with his head in his shoulders and hand in his pockets sulks slightly ahead.  
Rom watches as the new guy follows closely behind his son.

Quark waits with Odo until Rom and Ishka decide they’re out of sight.  
“What did you want to do with the rest of the day?” Quark says, the back of his head resting on Odo.  
“Did you have anywhere you wanted to go?”  
Quark shrugged. “Wouldn’t mind running by the tower of commerce to see what's in the news.”  
“I saw a crowd outside there earlier.”  
Quark jumps up. “Why didn’t you say something? Lets go.”  
Quark drags Odo by the hand out of the door and back out into the rain.

Most of the crowd had dissipated by this point, but the remaining Ferengi swapping are exchanging contact details.   
“Hey, what’d I miss?” Quark joins in the mess.  
Odo stands over the little men and looks for clues. Quark is happily chatting away with the others.  
“You shoulda been here. Some nobody just got caught trying to give his wife profit.”  
Quark’s eyebrows shoot up. “You don’t say.”  
“It gets worse. He planned on using her to make a case for female rights. Pft. We’d have to add another third of the population to the books. Crazy bastard.”  
Quark stopped breathing. “No kidding.”

Odo looked through the crowd to see bodies of men smashed into the pavement. Odo sees some form of gore or another regularly, but he never took Ferengi to be the type to be so brutal in capital punishment.   
He looks for solace in Quark who seems unphased by the man’s bones and guts spilling out. The other businessman Quark is talking to is equally disinterested.  
“Business partner of yours?” He asks.  
Quark pulls his wrists together. “Depends what you’re selling.”  
Odo frowns.  
The other man grins. “What you lookin’ for?”  
“I run a bar. Odo works in security.”  
The man is suddenly fearful of Odo. “I see.”

Odo looks slightly more pissed off.   
“Well … If you’re ever -- on the market-” The stranger pulls a small card out and hands it to Quark “I’m sure we can make some arrangements.”  
The grin that followed made Odo uncomfortable, but it seemed to put Quark at ease. “You’ll be the first to know.”  
The other guy swans off.

Odo grabs Quark by the sleeve and marches him down the road.

“Hey careful! You know how much Garak charges for seam repairs?”  
Odo pushes them into an alley entrance. “What the HELL was that?”  
Quark shrugs “Just … Making friends.”  
“That looked a little too friendly to me.”  
“Oh relax Odo, business and pleasure are the same thing here.”  
Odo was ready to flip out until from the closed off side of the alley, a random stranger quickly walked by, tipped his head and didn’t make eye contact on his way past. Quark and Odo watch him join the masses on the streets, then both turn to face the direction he came from.

Teller pops up from behind a large vent.  
“What ..?” He says.  
Quark frowns “Where’s Nog?”  
“Oh, he paid me more to leave him alone.”  
“WHAT!?”  
Teller stands up fully and straightens his jacket. “Yeah. A whole strip. I left him where he paid me.”  
Odo frowns. “Then why are you here?”  
Quark jumps in “Odo, what do you think he was doing?”  
Odo winced.

Quark fires back up. “Did he say where he was going?”  
The guy shrugs.  
Odo contributes. “I think we have a really good idea of where he’s gone.”  
Quark growls to himself. “This- Is why we don’t pay destitutes. C’mon Odo. I got an idea.” Odo is walked back out into the rain.


	6. Undercover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quark and Odo go searching for Nog.

Back at Moogies.  
Odo sits very uncomfortably. “Are you sure there isn’t a better way?”  
Quark zips his huge knee high boots up. “It’ll be the fastest way in, and fastest way out. I’m not waiting in line again, or buying drinks, because that little brat thinks he can slip by the law and put us all outta business. Now Odo, would you mind pulling the corset together for me?”

Odo stood up and started pulling it tighter methodically. “I’m just saying, we’re putting ourselves at risk either way. Why can’t I just use my status to walk right in?”  
Quark put some extra eyeliner on. “You saw how people react to your uniform. Nog will scatter before we find him, and I’m not having the FCA catch me dating you, Nog getting hammered in a brothel and Moogie earning profit on the same day. I’ll get thrown off the tower.”  
Odo shuddered thinking about it. “I wasn’t made aware of your peoples penal system.”  
Quark snorts.  
“Not like that.”  
Quark smiles “I didn’t think it mattered. We are on vacation.”  
“You’re here to make friends apparently.”  
“You’re still not over that? Odo, I’m dressed like a hooker, but winking at a guy is too far?”  
Odo tied the strings together. “I wasn’t comfortable with how he looked at you.”  
Quark spun around to look at Odo properly. “I’m not going anywhere, and I’ll prove it. With all the eyes on us tonight, you’ll be numb to it. Now, how well do you do undercover?”  
Odo just gave Quark a look.

Quark struts down the street. Every guy in line spots him and watches him as he walks.  
Behind him, Odo walks wearing the most outrageous outfit Quark could have designed.   
“When you said under cover, I thought you mean as a purse or something?”  
Quark didn’t even look at him as they came to the door. “They need to see that I’m taken or else they’ll think I work here.”  
Quark made a face at the Nausicaan at the door. He looked at Odo and let them in straight away. 

Odo walked Quark through the club.   
“Right, if we start at the top, we can force him back down when we find him.” Quark spoke but didn’t look at Odo.  
“Why don’t we work our way up?”  
“Suspicious. If we work our way down, he can’t hide. If he is in here.”  
Odo gives Quark a concerned look but Quark was already heading for the stairs.

As much as Odo hated it, he liked the little adventure they were on. Him following Quarks every move, keeping him safe from wandering hands. Quark may be leading but Odo is once again in full control. He may be dressed how Quark wanted him, but he can’t complain about the way Quark is dressed either. It might be his fault that Nog is back in here, but their holiday to Ferenginar couldn’t have gone any other way. He is still with Quark. They’re doing undercover work. They get a taste of how the other lives. Odo smiles inside thinking about it.

“What you smiling about?” Quark grins at him.  
“Nothing.”  
“It's the outfit isn’t it. It's doing something for ya?” Quark accentuates his curves with a pose.  
Odo smiles. “If Nog is in here, I don’t think now is the time.”  
“That's not a no.”  
Odo rolls his eyes happily. He’s not going to roll over so easily for Quarks amusements.

On the top floor, a large casino is in action. Tables of players with cards, Ferengi rolling dice, spinning wheels, throwing darts and screaming at screens with bets in hand was all that could be seen. Ferengi of all ages focused on their current tasks. The older ones typically had a naked female by their side. The younger ones watched the waiters and dabo boys.

“Hey big spender!” A voice called out. One of the men in scantily clad outfits was beckoning Odo over to the table.   
Before Odo could open his mouth, Quark put Odo’s hand on his hip. “Rule 37 sweetheart. Try again elsewhere.” He smirks as he walks Odo out of the situation.   
Odo doesn’t like the way that both the patrons and the staff are looking at him. But then he supposes that's the role of the character, to be the center of attention. To be the man with the money. Money on Ferenginar means a lot more than anywhere else in the galaxy. Odo decides to play the part.

Quark slyly walks them around, keeping his ears open for Nog’s voice. Suddenly, he is dragged sideways onto Odo’s lap at a tongo table.  
“Odo, what are we doing?”  
Odo picks up his cards and whispers, letting Quark see them and assess his odds. “You wanted to do some spending?”  
Quark shudders.  
Odo lowers his voice further. “We play one game, win or lose, we still win.”  
Quark catches on and spins the wheel for them, slamming a card down. “Acquire.”

It wasn’t even half an hour before other players were dropping out. Quark was getting far too into this, but Odo was once again entranced by his control of Quark.  
A player throws his cards down. “This is bull shit! You can’t let your whore play for you”  
“Why the hell not?” Odo growls back. “Rule 44”  
Quark bites his lip to physically stop a moan. He can feel Odo’s hands on his hip. He can see the latinum they’re about to rake in. He loves the stress of it.  
Odo watches over his shoulder. He can hear his heavy breathing. He can see his sweating. He decides to call it before Quark starts grinding on him. “Quark … I need you to cash in.”  
Quark squirms. “But we’re so close.”  
“I know. But we still have a mission to complete.”  
With a heavy heart. Quark pushed his cards away and took their winnings.  
“Good boy.”  
Quark arched that time.

Next floor down.  
“Where are we?” Odo asks.  
“Private investors floor.”  
“What?”  
Quark pushes a curtain out of the way. The room was full of beanbags and benches, littered with men dressed in varying amounts of clothes, touching, rubbing, sharing each other. Odo assumed this was the part that happened behind closed doors, but apparently not. 

Quark had a good look around. No Nog here. He assumed so. This floor is for treating the people you want to spend more money on you. Show them a good time, follow some instructions and leave a nice tip with any staff who offer to join in, and your suppliers are suddenly more generous, and they stay that way because they associate you with that night away from the missus.

Odo wasn’t entirely sure how to behave looking at all these people just lounging, half dressed, hands in places they shouldn’t be in public. He looked down at Quark who had about given up looking for Nog.  
“Nah. Let's go.” Quark led him out and down to the next floor. 

“Oh I remember here.” Odo points out.  
“I doubt he’d be up here, but he might be.”  
Stalls and stalls of drugs. Things Odo has never even heard of; and it's a big galaxy full of narcotics and stimulants. He really should know all of them in case they find their way to Bajor. Some of them require technology to make them work. Some require a combination of different things at different times. Some are edible, some are patches, some are injected.

“Odo, focus. You’re not on duty.”  
Odo shook his head. “I’m still in character.”  
“Sure you are.”  
Through different rooms, no sign of Nog, but lots of stuff Quark wishes they had time to try. He wasn’t expecting ecstasy to work the other night, but he’s glad it did.

“Okay, we can go … Odo? ODO?”

Quark ran around in his boots looking for Odo now. “Just my luck. Lost both of ‘em.”

Odo was in the middle of a very deep discussion with one of the dealers.  
“And you’re saying it will stay in your system for 3 days?” Odo inspects the little bottle.  
“Depends how you take it. You see -”  
“There you are!” Quark shreeks.  
Odo winces and turns to Quark, who angrily takes his sleeve again.

“What?” Odo says.  
Quark scrunches his face up “You can’t just leave me in a place like this. Where’d you go?”  
Odo lit up. “Oh, this gentleman was just educating me on this … What did you call it?”  
“Liquid dope”  
“That's the one. It's’ supposed to be good for anger management.”  
Quark looks confused “Why do you need that?”  
“Actually I was thinking of Kira or Garak.”  
Quark couldn’t have repressed a laugh if his life depended on it. Odo cracked a smile as well. “How long’s it last?”  
The dealer speaks up “Three whole days depending.”  
“Oh that's a deal right there”

Next floor  
They were still giggling about seeing any of the cast members chilled out on some mystery concoction and how illegal spiking everyone's drinks would be.  
“Where are we?”  
“Ur .. floor with the booths. Remember where we-”  
“OH I remember now” Odo gave Quark a cheeky smile. Quark tapped him back.  
“Oh behave. We’re supposed to be undercover.”  
Odo pats Quarks back side. “I am.”  
Quark playfully growls back.

Odo was about to push it further, until Quark’s smile fell off. “I can hear him.”  
Odo suddenly fell back to reality. “On THIS floor?”  
“It's just indistinct words at the minute. Nothing I’d be concerned about.” Quark said looking off into the distance.  
“Then we need to go get him.”  
Quark stopped Odo. “The rules say we can’t open a curtain. We’re just gonna have to wait for him to come out.”  
“He’s been in here for hours. He’s still a child-”  
“I’m aware of that Odo, but we can’t do shit until he’s back out in the open.”

Odo folds his arms and Quark leans against a corridor wall.

After a minute of silence and Quark listening to things he didn’t want to hear, Odo speaks first. “Tongo was fun.”  
“You’re telling me. We coulda wiped the floor with them.”  
Odo smiled “Next time.”  
Quark blushed.

Quark took a deep breath. “This must be so strange for you. You’re dressed all weird, dealing with Ferengi law, looking for a teenager you tried to help.”  
“It’s not been so bad.”  
Quark squints at him.  
Odo looked away and said, “I like your outfit.”  
Quark shot a look back up. “You look good in a suit.”  
Odo held his own arm.

Quark stepped forward and whispered. “You wanna do role play when we get back?”  
Odo held his eye contact. “That sounds like fun.”  
Quark gave him a sultry look. “It doesn’t have to be this way around.”  
Odo didn’t expect that.  
Quark jolted and twisted away from Odo. “Nog’s stopped talking.”  
Odo started looking for him again. “That's not good.”  
“Or it's fantastic. Just depends on the context.”  
Odo looked back down with concern at Quark, but Quark was looking miles away.

A curtain opened and Nog stepped out.   
“HEY!” Quark yelled at him.  
Nog braced for impact and held his wrists together.  
Quark grabbed him by the ear and dragged him toward the stairs.  
“Ow Ow Ow-Why are you dressed like a whore?”  
“Don’t use words like that.” Odo said.  
“And why do you look like his pimp?”  
Quark tugged harder and walked them right out of the door.

It wasn’t raining luckily but Quark continued to march them home, Nog with tears welling in his eyes, Odo following closely behind.

*

The whole family sat around the table.  
“You want to explain yourself?” Ishka started with.  
“I didn’t do anything.” Nog pouts.  
“We found him on the first floor.” Quark adds.  
Rom asks. “Not the ground floor?”  
Odo shakes his head in response.

“I feel like I’m on trial.” Nog throws his arms out.  
“You don’t know what trial looks like.”  
“You’re right. This is an interrogation.” Nog continues.  
“Just tell us what you did there, and we’ll believe you.” Moogie says, trying her best good cop impression.  
“I didn’t do anything”  
Quark leans in. “We heard you talking to someone. You paid your babysitter off and you won’t tell us what you were doing in there. All the evidence is against you, Nog.”  
Odo supposes Quark is trying to be bad cop.

Nog looks to Odo. “If this were an interrogation. I’d be entitled to a lawyer, right?”  
Everyone looks to Odo. “In most societies, yes.”  
“And they would decide if it goes to trial?”  
“Depends on the crime.”  
“You don’t know if there was one.”  
Rom looks confused.  
Quark rolls his head. “Get to the point.”  
Nog looks happy. “I want Odo to be my impartial lawyer.”  
“You’ve gotta be kidding me.” Quark sighs.

Odo plays along. “If that's the game we’re playing, then the rest of you must leave myself and my client to speak alone.”  
Nog smiles like an idiot. Odo smiles. The rest looks confused.  
“You heard him.” Nog states.  
One by one, the rest leave them.

Odo takes a seat and waits.

Nog leans in. “How do these things normally go?”  
Odo nods. “They tell me why they’re innocent and I collect the evidence to prove it before trial. Unless you’re Cardassian.”  
“Whut?”  
“Never mind. Just tell me what happened.”  
Nog looked around hesitantly. “You can’t tell them.”  
Odo frowns. “Why?”  
Nog quickly pulls a small communication device out from his pocket. “I was calling Jake.”  
Odo took the device. “And the call logs will match?”  
“I promise. I didn’t take anything. I didn’t even talk to anyone. I just wanted to call Jake.”  
Odo looks through the call logs. They match. “Why is this a secret?”

Nog looks at the table. “‘Cus I like him and I know that it’s not gonna work.”  
“Why not?”  
Nog gets a little flustered. “Because the rules say it won't. It shouldn’t. Plus he doesn’t feel the same way. What if he thinks I’m being weird, or what if Quark thinks I’m being a heretic or something?”  
Odo raised his hands “Woah. Calm down. If you’re so sure that it's best they don’t know, I’m not going to say anything, but you should know that it's not right to hide this kind of information. They’ll find out one day and you can’t control when or how unless you do it yourself.”

Nog nods at the table. “So I’m not gonna get in trouble?” he says, slightly raising his head.  
“Stop going to bar’s illegally and I’ll stop the investigation.”  
“Where am I going to call Jake?”  
“Make Jake call you. No one will suspect a thing if he’s the one initiating it.”  
“You think they’ll leave me alone?”  
Odo nods. “I think so. Just tell them that Jake needs the support right now. They’ll understand.”  
Nog smiles. “Then I promise I’ll stop going to those clubs.” He offers his wrist.  
Odo smiles and crosses his wrist with his own, sealing the pact.

“Alright everyone, he’s innocent.”  
Quark pops out from around the corner. “You gotta be shitting me?”  
“No, the crime doesn’t warrant the use of a court but can be settled by personal compensation. He is guilty of going to the bar with his fake ID and nothing more. Rom, the punishment is yours to decide.”  
“But you said-” Nog jumps up. Odo gives him a look. Nog angrily sinks.

“Ur … go to your room?” Rom mumbles.  
Nog looks surprised and goes there.  
“It's actually MY room.” Quark folds his arms.   
“Oh get over yourself, Quarky.” Ishka wobbles off.  
Quark raises and drops his arms.  
Odo laughs.


	7. Role play

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys play a game ...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... They don't play very well

Quark flops onto the hotel bed and groans. “This is why we need a ship.”  
Odo walks by him. “We went for a walk, Quark. You don’t need a ship for sightseeing.”  
“But I still want a ship.”  
Odo is faffing with clothes the maid man left in the wrong place. “You also wanted to go spending.”  
Quark rolls to face Odo. “I want a new suit. I want more games for the bar. I want a moon.”  
Odo huffs. “What don’t you want?”  
“Aching legs.”  
Odo laughs.

“I think this vacation has gone well, all things considered.”  
Quark kicks his shoes off. “For a guy that thrives on order and compliance, I’m surprised.”  
Odo shrugs. “Dax made a comment about how this place is a living contradiction. It's dark but bright, friendly but devious, clean but filthy. I think I get it.”  
Quark leans on his fist. “I don’t follow.”  
Odo sits down. “The rest of the galaxy must look so .. uncoordinated from your point of view. Places with no weather. Places where order is conducted by force. Places where deals don't mean anything. Where money isn’t the be all and end all. Where uniforms and armour are the norm.” Odo flops down with Quark. “I know I think all solids are weird, but that's because I’m not even made of the same organic materials. I don’t know how my people live, so to see all yours … it puts things in perspective.”

Quark dwelled on that. He smiled. “I’m glad you’ve enjoyed seeing the city.”  
“Wouldn’t have minded seeing more.”  
“Pft, all of Ferenginar is just this all over again. No suburbs, but the Nagus lives here, that's why it's bigger.”  
Odo laughs. “I can’t believe it, but that makes sense.”  
Quark was happy to see him happy. He was expecting him to complain, or go crime hunting, or demand that he gets to choose the next holiday, but he got the complete opposite.

Quark leans in for a kiss. Odo gives it back.  
“Hey, urm … I was thinking we could get back into character.”  
Odo matches his tone of voice. “You wanna get dressed up?”  
“I would love to.”

Less than an hour later  
Quark is pulling his lacy top over his head and adjusting it. “Odo, I was thinking; Can you change your hair?”  
Odo was in the other room deciding his outfit. “I can’t do much with it, but I can change its colour.”  
“Oooo. Do that.”  
“What about eye colour?”  
Quark needed a minute to decide if that's too far. “Try it.”  
“Done.”  
“Just tying the skirt up.”  
Odo laughed. “Why do the dabbo boys wear women's clothes?”  
Quark made his way into the room. “No such thing as female clothes-” Quark was stopped in his tracks.

Odo was innocently stood by the mirror, but the new outfit, the slick back black hair and green eyes made him .. scary.  
“Quark, I can change back-”  
“No no, I’m still adjusting. That's all.”  
Odo trusts him to tell him if something is wrong. While they’re looking, Odo gets a good view of Quark. Sandals with tiny heels, a short skirt and nearly see through tube top.  
“What?” Quark asks.  
“You look nice.”  
Quark wasn’t expecting that. “Thank you.”

There was a minute just checking eachother out before Quark snapped them out of it. “What's the scene?”  
Odo fell back to reality. “Oh” He approached Quark. “I am new in town-”  
“Oh that's cheesy”  
“-And I need showing a good time. It just so happens a handsome young man-”  
Quark huffs. “Young man? I’m older than you!”  
“Don’t complicate the matter.”  
“Okay, okay.”  
Odo stroked the edge of his ear. “And I was thinking, I could persuade such a willing participant to do me the honors. ”  
Quark followed the sensation of his ear with his entire head. “I think … such a bargain could be struck.”

Odo spun Quark to face away and pulled him close, holding him back to front with his arms across his chest. “I very much enjoyed seeing you dance the other night.” He ran his hand up the side of his neck, dangerously close to his ear. “I thought you could demonstrate more for me.”  
Quark let Odo’s hand’s wander, caressing and stroking anything they came into contact with. “Rule 29…”  
Odo laughed and presented Quark with a slip of latinum. He took it and shoved it in the belt of his skirt, spinning out of his embrace and pushing Odo away.   
“Computer; Music.”

Odo fell back to sitting on the floor and watched as Quark danced around, throwing his limbs around and flashing the odd bit of skin from beneath his skirt. It was nice to see Quark do something so out of their normal routine. Odo smiles and patiently waits.

Quark can’t actually remember the last time he danced. Was it with Namita? When Nog was a baby? When he was actually a dabo boy? Who knows. But the next last time was for Odo. He’s glad. Odo makes him feel calm, safe, protected. Tonight, he can forget about the bar. Forget about the FCA. Forget about his failed relationships, because right now he has Odo. 

Quark looks so happy, Odo thinks. He can’t dance. He likes ballroom dances because they’re coordinated and organised and planned. Whatever Quark is doing is entirely dictated by his emotions, by the music. He wonders if this little routine is one from his past, or if he’s made this one up for him just now.

Quark can see the smile on Odo’s face. He likes that he’s having an effect on him. Quark decides it's time for Odo to join in.  
He holds his hand out for Odo to take.  
Odo hesitates.   
Quark insists.  
Odo takes it and is pulled back to his feet.  
Quark wastes no time in swinging them around and making Odo play along.  
Odo smiles and does his best to pretend he knows what he's doing.  
Quark can very clearly see that he has no idea what he’s doing, but it's so nice that he’s trying.

Odo notices Quark's innocent little smile and pulls him in for a kiss. Quark Grabs him by the shirt and holds him close. Odo likes the force of this game they’re playing and pins Quark to the wall, chest to chest, face to face, legs intertwined. Quark pants and looks him dead in the eyes. “I want it.”  
Odo takes him by the hand and spins him to face the wall. “Here? With all those eyes on you?” Odo’s hands trail down his side, over his skirt, to his thighs.  
“I can be very impatient …” Quark bites his lip, letting the light touch of Odo’s hands make their way under his skirt.  
“Then we’d better get right to the point”

Odo didn’t even remove Quark's thin lacy underwear, just pushing it off to the side and sliding his fingers in. Quark moaned and took deep heavy breaths. In his head, he’s right back at the club, he still lives in the city, he’s found a guy who’s treating him right and he wants them. He wants them to have him now, publicly. He wants to be seen with them. He wants others to know he’s successful in bargaining.

Odo is appreciative of the heels. The slight height difference has made this so much easier, and Quark sounds like he’s enjoying himself. Odo is quite enjoying being this important character that has control over his Ferengi friend. He likes that Quark is submissive behind closed doors. He likes the intimate little noises that Odo has full access to. He likes his place, above and behind him.

“Do you want more?”  
Quark shudders into his shoulders, hiding his face in his elbow. “Yesplease.”  
“Again.” Odo demands.  
Quark physically stops his leg from buckling. “Please sir. I want more.”  
Odo holds him close and tight, nuzzling the back of Quark's neck and taking in his little humanoid features. His breathing, his sweating, his uncontrollable sounds and twitching.

Quark's mind was elsewhere. The music was familiar. The arms wrapped around him, feeling his bare skin, holding his curves. His skimpy outfit not leaving much to the imagination. He wonders if the other patrons would expect as much. He wonders if the other boys call him names behind his back. His legs are parted slightly further and a familiar shape presses into his underside.

“Say it.”  
It's Odo’s voice, but something doesn’t feel right. Quark suddenly feels weak. “No ..” Quark quietly whimper to the wall.

He’s never said no. Odo shifts everything away. He’s got blues again, blonde hair, in uniform.  
Quark didn’t move from facing the wall. Odo has no idea what to say. He has no idea what to do. He’s not sure if he did something. He’s not sure what caused it.  
“Computer, stop music.” Was all he could think off.

Quark took a very deep breath and turned around. “I’m sorry.”  
Odo hugged him. “No I’m sorry. I didn’t realise.”  
Quark hugged him back. “I’m okay. It wasn’t you. I panicked.”  
“That's okay. We don’t have to do it again.”  
“I- I don’t think I wanna do role play again, but the rest was good.”  
Odo kept hold of him. “Did you want to talk about it?”  
Quark smiled. “No, I - I got a little nostalgic and then- and then suddenly you were there and I - I felt bad. That sounds so stupid coming out of my mouth.”  
“Don’t say that. If I did something-”  
“No, you didn’t do anything. I just … forgot where I was.”  
Odo tries to lighten the mood. “Sounds like someone just takes role play very seriously.”  
Quark laughs. “Guess I did.”

Odo lets go when Quark lets go. “I - I should get changed.” Quark points to the bathroom.  
“If that's what you want?”  
Quark pauses for a moment. “Did you mean it when you said you like it?”  
Odo took the side of Quarks face in his hand. “You look fantastic.”  
Quark lowered his head and blushed. “You ruin me, do you know that?”  
“You love it really.”  
Quark playfully pushed Odo away. Odo laughed along.

“I’ll let you go to bed now if you want to.” Odo says.  
Quark held his arm. “Well, why waste a perfectly good outfit? Am I right?”  
Odo caught on. “You can just ask..”  
Quark took a deep breath. “I was thinking we could make the most of the skirt at least.” Quark gave him a look and licks along his teeth.  
Odo steps forward “If that's what you want..” He picks him up and drops him on the bed. “Then that's what you shall have.”

Odo disappears under Quark's skirt. He jolts and grabs the bed sheets as Odo wastes no time in getting stuck in.  
“Oh my god, I love you, Odo.” Quark whines.  
Odo stops for a brief moment. “I love you too.”  
“Fuck! Odo, don’t stop. Please.” He shakes and bends and arches and screams.  
Odo just keeps doing what he’s doing. This is much more like it.


	8. Change of heart, change of scenery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last day of the vaccation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Its short

Quark woke up alone. He hadn’t gotten changed for bed. He felt well rested but he felt uncomfortable in a skirt and nothing else.  
“Odo?”  
“Oh you’re up.” Odo came back into the bedroom, ducking through the door and presenting Quark with some breakfast. “Good morning, or should I say afternoon.”  
“It's noon?”  
“Mhm. Rom called and asked when we leave.”  
Quark sat up and stretched. “When the hotel kicks us out is when we leave.”  
“2 hours then.”

Quark started eating. “I would say let's make the most of it, but all I want is a shower and my suit.”  
“Considering how much we spent, you didn’t buy much. A suit being on the list.”  
Quark gulps his drink down. “I blame Nog. We’ll have to come back if we get the chance.”  
“Fine by me.”  
“Really?” Quark sounded hopeful.  
“I think I owe it to you.”  
“Then the next ones on you.” Quark pecked him and hopped out of bed.

*

Nog basically bolted to Jake from getting off the run about.  
Rom took both the bags and started walking home.  
Quark needed to see the bar was still in operation.  
Odo was spotted by Jadzia who came to stick her nose in.  
“So gimme details.”  
Odo weighed it up. “I broke more laws than I ever would have estimated in my lifetime, in the course of 3 days. I trigger some form of panic attack in Quark. I played lawyer for Nog and learned who’s name would be taken if myself and Quark got married.”  
“Sounds like fun.”  
“It really was. I even brought some fun back.” Odo produced a small vile from the palm of his hand.   
Jadzia gasped. “Odo, you’re not smuggling contraband.”  
“No. I brought back a copy of the contract and I’m putting the whole dose I bought in the system for future reference. This on the other hand-” Odo present a few small squares of paper in a small see through bag. “This is for personal use, which is also legal.”  
Jadzia gives him a knowing look. “You sharing?”  
“Pft, Rule 69 and rule and 284 say otherwise.” Odo puts his possessions away and keeps walking.  
Jadzia follows. “Ferengi are not responsible for the stupidity of other races, and deep down, everyone in a Ferengi?”  
Odo smiles to himself. Jadzia laughs along.


End file.
